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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chip — for betting
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com